Sargon II (video game)
| Company type | Software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer chess software |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | Dan Spracklen, Kathe Spracklen |
| Products | Chess software |
Sargon II serves as the follow-up to Sargon, both being chess software designed for use on home computer systems.
Development
Created by Dan and Kathe Spracklen, Sargon II brought considerable improvements compared to its forerunner. In 1978, it secured a tie for third place at the ninth North American Computer Chess Championship, surpassing expectations as it entered the competition seeded ninth out of 12 participants. It finished just behind Belle and Chess 4.7 and notably defeated AWIT, a program operating on a $5 million Amdahl mainframe, which garnered significant attention. That same year, the Spracklens authored a BYTE magazine series on programming computer chess to disseminate their knowledge and minimize duplicated efforts in development.
During the early 1980s, Sargon II was adapted for multiple widely-used personal computers, including a version running on the 6809 FLEX operating system developed by Brian N. Baily and Charles B. Blish in 1981. The program incorporates several levels of lookahead to suit players with varying expertise. BYTE magazine estimated in 1980 that its most challenging setting corresponded roughly to a 1500 rating, positioning it among the top commercially available chess programs, including dedicated hardware units.
An upgraded iteration named Sargon 2.5, released as a ROM cartridge for the Chafitz Modular Game System, introduced pondering functionality. It achieved ratings of 1641 at the Paul Masson tournament (June–July 1979) and reached 1736 during the San Jose City College Open (January 1980).
Reception
In The Space Gamer No. 32 (1980), J. Mishcon reviewed The Software Exchange’s versions of Sargon II for TRS-80 and Apple II, describing it as "a capable computer adversary within the highly complex realm of chess" and "strongly recommended for all except chess masters." John Martarello’s review in BYTE lauded it as "the realization of what Sargon I was meant to be," emphasizing its skill in setting traps despite some weaknesses. He also evaluated Sargon 2.5 for the Chafitz Modular Gaming System, noting enhancements in speed and the addition of pondering but suggested potential buyers "hold off for Sargon 3" due to Chafitz’s price point.
The VIC-20 edition received commendation from Ahoy! in 1984 for its "superb" chess-playing abilities and cost-effectiveness when compared with specialized chess computers; similar accolades were given to the Commodore 64 version. The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software 1984 assigned an A− grade, calling it "a formidable opponent for any chess enthusiast," ranking second only to Chess 7.0. In 1985, Tim Harding characterized Sargon II as the first "reasonably competent chess program" available for home computers, highlighting its strength and superior features relative to many amateur contemporaries.
Ian Chadwick recommended Sargon II as an advanced computer chess program worth exploring in issue #56 of Moves.